Following months of fundraising and planning, 30 L-S drama, music, band, and speech students along with eight chaperones headed to New Orleans for spring break, Mar. 22-26. The motorcoach arrived in Sully at 2 p.m. on Mar. 22, and students were loaded and hit the road for the 17-hour bus ride. The following is a recap of the five-day trip by Melinda Hardin, high school language arts teacher and speech and drama coach, who was one of eight chaperones.
Wednesday, Mar. 23
30 L-S music, band, speech, and drama students in front of Blaine Kerr’s Mardi Gras World, a facility where Mardi Gras floats are created.
The 2016 New Orleans trip kicked off with a visit to famous Jackson Square, a historic park located in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Students were given a couple of hours to stretch their legs and to take in the many shops and restaurants. It was at Jackson Square where the group met their Brightspark tour guide, Kyle. “He was really good and led us to the right places in New Orleans,” said Shaleah Van Wyk.
Later that afternoon, the group headed to the Old U.S. Mint. Built in 1835, the Old U.S. Mint is the only building in America to have served as a United States and Confederate Mint. After the self-guided tour, the group checked into Drury Inn and Suites to freshen up before heading to Mulate's Cajun Restaurant, the original Cajun restaurant famous for preserving and celebrating the food, music, and culture found in the small towns and along the bayous of south Louisiana. After dinner, Mulate's featured live Cajun music and dancing, leading students to step out on the dance floor and swing their partner.
Lucas Jones takes a picture of a small alligator while on the swamp tour.
To end the first evening, the group took a walk after dark on a French Quarter Ghost Tour through the eerie streets of historic New Orleans. Students heard stories of the ghosts who “haunt” the Quarter today. The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest and most famous neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. “What we saw was really interesting and helped me get a good feeling about the New Orleans culture,” said Carson Dunsbergen.
A question of many students centered around the impact the 2005 Hurricane Katrina had on the area. They learned the damage and impact was relatively light compared to other areas of the city and the region as a whole.
Thursday, Mar. 24
Stepping out in the rain, the L-S group traveled back to the French Quarter for additional sightseeing. Several jazz band students, interested in performing on the streets, prepared two jazz numbers to play around Jackson Square. Getting the full New Orleans’ musical experience included band instructor and trip chaperone Ryan McNulty and Dillon Van Manen on trumpet, Garret Cross and Zach Van Waardhuizen on saxophone, and Caleb Jansen on drums.
Caleb Jansen, Mr. McNulty, Zach Van Waardhuizen, Dillon Van Manen, and Garret Cross play jazz on the streets of Jackson Square.
Following a noon meal at Golden Feather Mardi Gras Indian Restaurant and Museum, students had the opportunity to meet an Indian chief and learn more about the rich history of a New Orleans mysterious gem. Drummer Caleb Jansen was able to assist the chief on a traditional song at the restaurant/gallery.
Students and chaperones next went on a Cajun-style swamp tour, a highlight of the trip for many. The thrilling experience on a flat boat through the heart of the swamplands was enjoyed by all. Attractions of the swamp tour included moss-draped cypress trees, plant life, and the creatures that make the swamps their home. “The Swamp Tour allowed us not only to see how alligators, turtles, and plant life live in the Louisiana swamp, but to learn about Cajun culture from our tour guide. We even got to hold a small alligator!” said Lexus Waymire, vocal instructor and another chaperone on the trip.
Kayla Van Dyke and Alexis Hardenbrook are among students choosing from a diverse buffet at the Golden Feather Mardi Gras Indian restaurant.
The Hard Rock Café near Bourbon Street was the site of dinner that evening. After filling up, the group strolled down Bourbon Street to Preservation Hall for a concert where some of New Orleans’ finest performers showcase a musical legacy dating back to the origins of jazz itself. Unfortunately, the first-come, first-serve performance was out of reach for the whole L-S group due to long lines. After a long wait, the majority of the group headed back to the hotel while a few remained behind to wait out the line. Lucas Jones, who decided to wait, said he had fun enjoying the music as he is in the beginning the stages of becoming a jazz drummer for next year. Waymire commented, “Preservation Hall was well worth the long wait in line. We got to hear some extraordinary jazz musicians performing in a historic location.”
Friday, Mar. 25
Friday morning, the group took a tour of the National World War II Museum and Theater where exhibits, stories, and interactive experiences painted the picture of a nation mobilized for war in a way that engaged the senses, mind, and heart. “This is what I was looking forward to the most. This is what I came for,” said Carson Dunsbergen, who would have liked to have more time in the WWII museum “because it was really cool.”
Canyon Kuhlmann, Taylor Maasdam, Caleb Jansen, Haley James, Kyle Van Dyke, and Marissa Vos enjoy the view on the Steamboat Natchez.
After the WWII Museum experience, the group headed to Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World for a tour of their large facility where they learned how Mardi Gras floats were created. With a couple of hours to spare before dinner, the group headed to either Decatur Street or back to Jackson Square. Several L-S students and chaperones went to the French Market, one of the nation's oldest, continually run public markets. Jackson Hardin and Isaac Collins were able to try alligator on a stick, which was actually a gator sausage. “It was more like a spicy sausage,” said J. Hardin. Other students and adults went to visit Congo Square in Louis Armstrong Park.
Later for dinner, students and chaperones enjoyed dinner and entertainment by the DUKES of Dixieland jazz band on the Steamboat Natchez. The Natchez is the last authentic steamboat on the Mississippi River, and dinner consisted of a diverse Southern buffet. After the steamboat river cruise, the L-S group boarded the motorcoach for the long drive home and arrived in Sully on Saturday afternoon. Ricky Farris said she thought the trip was fun because she got to see a different city. “The amount of time we got to look around the city on our own, it gave me the ‘tourist’ feeling, and I didn't feel rushed at all,” she said. Jones finished by saying he is thankful for the experience of New Orleans.
